83% of CMOs are optimistic about generative AI, up from 74% in 2023. Anxiety dropped from 46% to 23% and outright rejection fell to just 8%. 71% plan to invest at least $10M in the next three years, up from 57%. 68% are using or plan to use AI for live-action video generation and enhancement, and 91% for text translation. On personalization, 50% already use AI for product recommendations, 43% for timed outreach, and 36% for audience segmentation.
Amazon is gaining ground in the DSP market as advertisers redirect budgets from The Trade Desk, especially in connected TV. Buyers cite Amazon's lower platform fees, flexible contracts, and access to exclusive inventory as key factors behind the shift. With Prime Video's scale and improved tech stack, Amazon is not only undercutting competitors on pricing but also offering unique targeting capabilities that are driving broader adoption.
Confusing websites lose millions because people don't act on what they can't understand. Many struggle with writing clearly because they prioritize sounding smart over being understood. To fix this, run readability tests, keep sentences short, get to the verb quickly, and cut unnecessary words. Replace abstract nouns with active verbs, avoid dense academic language, and use simple sentence structures like “A does B to C.” Another effective way to improve comprehension is to speak your message aloud, transcribe it, and edit for clarity.
Starbucks is reversing part of its automation efforts after realizing that the Siren System, designed for speed and cost savings, weakened the customer experience. The system focused too much on internal efficiency and not enough on how people interact with the brand. Technology only adds value when it aligns with what customers care about and supports what the brand stands for.
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Delve ran 4 placements across 2 TLDR newsletters and brought in 66 leads, with a meaningful chunk from enterprise. The result: $1M in attributed pipeline and a 52x ROI.
Raleon automates email campaign planning, customer segmentation, and content creation, helping Shopify brands save over 10 hours weekly. Its AI Marketing Strategist analyzes brand data to plan multiple campaigns in under a minute and generates email layouts and copy with easy revision options. The platform uses behavioral signals for segmentation, syncing with Klaviyo for fast testing, and reduces manual work by up to 90%.
Chrome extensions are often overlooked because they focus on traditional campaigns instead of tools integrated into daily browsing. They become part of users' routines without interrupting workflow, creating constant, low-churn brand presence. They also solve real problems where users work, building habits and loyalty. Examples include Buffer's extension for scheduling social posts, Todoist's tool for turning webpages into tasks, and Mixmax's Gmail features for sales productivity.
Dark mode has become the visual shorthand for AI-native companies. OpenAI, Perplexity, and Hugging Face default to dark interfaces, creating a uniform aesthetic across the AI space, especially for developer-first audiences. While not all AI companies follow this trend, marketers repositioning around AI are increasingly asking if their brand visually reflects the shift toward intelligent infrastructure.
Google, Meta, and Amazon are entering the $177B retail media market by integrating retail data into their demand-side platforms (DSPs). With over 250 retail media networks, 93% would shift budgets programmatically if it were easier. Each DSP varies in data matching, inventory access, and measurement, with The Trade Desk growing quickly and Amazon leading in closed-loop reporting. DSP choice affects cost, targeting, and efficiency, especially as cookie deprecation increases the value of first-party data. The fragmented market will favor multipurpose DSPs and specialized platforms over a single leader.
Running digital marketing campaigns on autopilot quietly drains your budget because algorithms shift, competitors change tactics, and audiences lose interest. Platform reps prioritize their company's goals and push new features that may not align with your business needs. The Show and Tell Agency shows how hands-on experts who constantly analyze data, adjust targeting and creative, and focus on specific business goals can deliver results like a 3.6% increase in student applications and an 8.9% rise in enrolment confirmations. Without active management, campaigns fade and fail.
Simplified versions of technical SEO concepts that anyone can grasp.
Business Insider is reducing reliance on traffic by cutting commerce and growing subscriptions and events.
A cheat sheet for turning LinkedIn into a client engine with offers and messaging that convert.
Pinterest's midyear trends reveal a strong shift toward digital detox and nature connection, especially among Gen Z. Users are seeking rustic, farmhouse-inspired home décor with thrifted, natural materials and earthy tones, reflecting a desire for cozy, nature-driven spaces. Travel trends emphasize slow, mindful escapes like nature bathing, book retreats, and mountain trips to disconnect from technology. Beauty trends show rising interest in astrology-inspired makeup and cool-toned palettes that allow personal expression tied to zodiac signs.
95% of Gen Z and millennials want to turn online interests into real-world connections. Influencers like Danielle Pheloung are creating intimate fan experiences offline. In May, she hosted 25 women at a Tribeca workout studio, gifting items from brands like Smart Sweets, Lancôme, and Ouai. Influence today is about access rather than follower count. Brands and platforms such as dcdx's Offline are supporting creators by helping them host meaningful in-person events, connecting brands with communities ranging from small gatherings to larger meetups.
To write effective social media content, focus each post on one small, rewarding idea that offers a tip, insight, or moment of connection. Use a conversational tone with clear, punchy language, mimicking a casual chat in a noisy café. Add personality with metaphors, opinions, or mini-stories to stand out from bland content. Start with short, curiosity-driven opening lines and use plenty of white space to keep posts easy to read and engaging.
Offering products or services for free can lead to undervaluation and make it difficult to charge later. Even a small fee encourages consumers to treat something with more care and recognize its value. Companies can preserve long-term pricing power by clearly communicating what their offering is worth through strategies like bundling, strikethrough pricing, and time-limited trials.
Pingo AI, a language learning app launched in late 2024, gained 50,000 users and $25,000 in monthly recurring revenue within five months through aggressive TikTok marketing. The founder scaled 12 social media accounts to nearly 10 million views, with the most viral video (1.6 million views) featuring Korean language practice. The highest engagement rates came from ambassador-run accounts, with one faceless content account reaching 19.09%. The team boosted reach by referencing non-competing apps to create more authentic content.
Cliff Worley from Kapor Capital led a no-fluff AI tools workshop focused on practical use cases across branding, GTM, UGC, outbound, ads, and comms. He shared his go-to tools like Looka for brand kits, Gamma for decks, Supergrow for authentic LinkedIn posts, and AdCreative.ai for scalable ad creation.
Grindr's Pride strategy focuses on authentic year-round engagement by centering queer voices, culture, and connection. Instead of rainbow washing, they invest in meaningful experiences like the Grindr Rides Tour and educational content like Daddy Lessons that bridge generational gaps. They advise listening to queer voices, engaging with culture before launching campaigns, and tailoring efforts to each region. Real success means showing up beyond June, offering genuine value, and building a lasting community. Brands that do this earn loyalty and relevance. Grindr calls this ongoing commitment the Global Gayborhood.
Emails under 300 words achieve the highest open and reply rates, with reply rates more than doubling compared to longer pitches. Including full press releases or excessive intro text reduces effectiveness, so it's better to link to supporting material like datasets via Dropbox or Google Drive. Pitches must be relevant to the journalist's specific beat and personalized authentically without using insincere flattery. Cutting fluff and getting to the story immediately helps keep the email concise and impactful. Shorter emails are not lower quality, they are simply more focused and easier for journalists to process quickly.
Even with large budgets and strong brands, many mature SaaS companies are losing ground by focusing on defending their position instead of winning new customers. One example is a $10 billion firm with polished messaging and regular updates that still fell behind faster startups. Google also missed the moment with generative AI while Zoom outpaced Skype by responding directly to what users needed. Defensive marketing talks at customers instead of helping them, and in fast-moving markets, that leads to decline over time.
Over half of TikTok shoppers cite discounts as their main motivation, while only a minority are influenced by creators or celebrities.
Great events come down to picking the right format, setting goals, aligning teams, creating memorable moments, and nailing the follow-up.
A photo of Vector's swag that includes a Lego version of its ghost mascot and a witty spin on Cards Against Humanity.
While traditional engines still lead, with a 90.2% user share in the US and 92.5% in Europe, AI search is steadily gaining ground. ChatGPT reached 21.7% of the user base in the US and 26.6% in Europe, where adoption has outpaced the US. Users are not just searching, but completing tasks, with AI traffic increasingly directed to platforms like YouTube, GitHub, and ResearchGate. Organic clicks remain the top search outcome, while zero-click results saw a small uptick. YouTube rose to the top destination from traditional search in the US, reflecting the rise of video-based discovery. AI adoption is growing but follows a familiar slow-burn curve, not a sudden disruption.
77% of US consumers say recyclability is the most important sustainability feature in packaging, yet only a third rank environmental impact among their top purchasing concerns. Functional benefits like shelf life, label clarity, and durability dominate decision-making, especially amid inflation and economic uncertainty. While many still care about sustainability, they expect brand owners to lead the effort without requiring trade-offs in price or performance.
About half of Gen Z feels a stronger connection to creators than to celebrities. This emotional tie is shaping how brands approach partnerships by bringing creators into the early stages of campaign development instead of treating them as distribution channels. Brands are now involving creators in ideation and production to build campaigns that reflect the creator's voice and audience expectations. The approach reflects a broader understanding that authenticity and personal connection are driving purchase behavior more than celebrity status.
LLMs often source content from Reddit and LinkedIn when making recommendations, even though social content may not directly drive clicks. To optimize for this, create clear, easy-to-read lists or reviews that answer common questions, use AI tools to polish posts for clarity, and encourage customers or partners to mention your brand frequently. Engaging content that generates many comments, especially through open-ended questions or slight controversy, increases the chance of being cited. Comment volume, rather than likes or impressions, strongly influences inclusion in these AI-driven recommendations.
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Listening to customer calls will make you a 10x better marketer, but there's no possible way to listen to all of them. Retellio makes sure you never miss an insight with AI agents that scan every call [8], highlight the questions customers actually care about, and surface
3 marketers share how they use AI to simplify and speed up content, outreach, and sales. They repurpose past content to generate founder-style posts using tools like Claude and Descript, automate podcast and PR outreach through AI protocols, and deploy AI agents to qualify leads, follow up with churned customers, schedule meetings, and handle multilingual calls.
Instagram's Edits app added 35 transition effects, including “Zoom Ripple” and “Vertical Stretch,” to enhance video cuts. It improved track handle sensitivity for more precise clip trimming and introduced a feature that applies volume changes across all clips to keep audio consistent.
Claude stood out with its high-fidelity execution, especially in complex coding tasks like building a Mario-level game and in writing edits that retained the author's tone with minimal prompting. ChatGPT excelled in personalized assistance, using memory to recall user context, respond with emotional nuance, and produce structured, actionable research. Gemini led in multimodal experimentation, particularly in video generation with Veo 3, and delivered fast, budget-friendly performance for developers working across formats.
Software has shifted from being personal and expressive, like on MySpace, to mass-market and uniform, like Facebook. Despite the explosion of apps, most are built for general use rather than tailored to individual needs. AI is reversing this trend by making personalized software fast and accessible. Tools like Lovable enable anyone to build apps in seconds, with Lovable now reaching $60M in ARR. Meanwhile, Helium aims to automate software improvement using AI agents that experiment and optimize continuously, boosting outcomes like paywall revenue by over 50%. As AI spreads, it's enabling non-coders to create software and letting software improve itself, reshaping who builds and how.
Tinder and other Match Group apps are losing traction with Gen Z, a cohort that prefers real-life interactions and feels alienated by swipe-based dating. CEO Spencer Rascoff is revamping product strategy to align with these trends, introducing features like collaborative dating that allow users to pair up with friends and match with other pairs for group chats and real-life meetups. The broader goal is to shift the perception of dating apps from transactional experiences to spaces that connect people and reduce loneliness.
Research shows that 60% of brands should maintain or reduce retail media spend to avoid missing out on higher-ROI opportunities.
Black backgrounds, light text, glowing neons, and moody gradients have become the design language of choice for AI-native companies.
Reddit's lawsuit makes it the first Big Tech company to legally challenge an AI model provider over its training data practices.
The FTC has issued investigative demands to media rating firms like NewsGuard, Ad Fontes Media, and DoubleVerify, requesting operational, financial, and communications data. The inquiry is focused on how these companies evaluate misinformation, hate speech, and deceptive content, and how their methodologies and partnerships may impact the flow of advertising dollars. By demanding detailed records dating back to 2019, the FTC is signaling heightened scrutiny over the role these firms play in shaping media visibility and influencing which outlets brands consider safe for ad placements.
Temu lost 58% of its daily U.S. users in May after the U.S. ended the de minimis exemption on Chinese imports. The company responded by overhauling its supply chain, shifting to a model where over one-third of its U.S. sales are now fulfilled from domestic warehouses. It also cut U.S. ad spending, leading to an 80% drop in paid search traffic.
85% of parents trust user reviews on Reddit for purchase decisions, and 50% plan to spend $400 or more this year. 75% say brands can have conversations on Reddit they can't have elsewhere. Reddit also ranks as the #1 platform parents use to decide on purchases compared to Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. This guide offers insights on product research, ad strategies, and creative planning.
93% of consumers say brands should stay informed about online culture, much of which lives in niche communities. Finding the right niche starts with tracking where relevant conversations are happening, such as hashtags, subreddits, or creator networks that align with your audience. Marketers can identify which formats, references, and tones resonate, then engage through creators or content that reflect the community's values. As the brand earns trust, ongoing feedback helps refine the message and stay aligned with the niche as it evolves.
The ‘aha' moment is a sudden shift in perception where users understand a product's value without needing further explanation. It typically follows a period of confusion and feels rewarding, which reinforces product use and loyalty. Examples from companies that got it right include when Calendly users realize scheduling can happen without email back-and-forth, when Notion users connect their second note and see how everything links, or when Spotify users discover the Daily Mix and understand its personalized value.
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Most of your best-fit buyers won't raise their hand. But they're still on your site - browsing your pricing page, reviewing features, and comparing you to competitors.
This webinar, which will be held on June 10th, will explain the often misunderstood role of GTM Engineering. GTM Engineering differs from RevOps and other functions because it focuses on creating frictionless buying experiences and orchestrating tech stacks to drive growth in B2B companies. At the webinar, industry experts will discuss why GTM Engineers are vital in today's AI-driven market, how to build the function effectively, and why it's important for marketing leaders and operators to understand this emerging growth role.
This podcast explains how to build and scale a high-performing email and SMS marketing team, from solo operators to enterprise-level structures. The hosts cover key roles, like strategist, copywriter, analyst, and automation specialist, when to hire them, and how to design workflows for campaigns, flows, and quality assurance. They discuss the tech stack needed for growth, when to keep work in-house or hire agencies, and common pitfalls to avoid.
Dotdash Meredith CEO Neil Vogel discusses preparing for a future he calls “Google Zero.” The company has reduced its reliance on Google from 60% to a third of its traffic and focuses on building direct audience relationships through newsletters, apps, and loyalty programs. Vogel views AI licensing deals as strategic hedges and is investing in proprietary ad tech to regain control over advertising revenue.